Mikel Obi reveals how his name was changed from ‘Michael’ to ‘Mikel’

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Former Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel has revealed that his famous football name came about after a mix-up during his time with Nigeria’s Under-17 team.

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Mikel explained during an episode on his Podcast, ObiOne, that he initially intended to use Michael as his name when the team was preparing to print the players’ names, but the name returned as “Mikel”.

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According to the former Chelsea star, he eventually embraced the name, which went on to become one of the most recognisable names in Nigerian football.

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“I changed my name. In the U17s, when they went to print the name, I gave them Michael, they came back with Mikel,” he said.

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The midfielder would go on to make the name famous during an illustrious career that included more than a decade at Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and two Premier League titles, among other trophies.

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Mikel also enjoyed a distinguished international career with the Super Eagles, earning more than 90 caps for Nigeria and helping the country win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

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Despite the accidental origin of the name, “Mikel” became firmly associated with the Nigerian midfielder throughout his career.

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